Arsenale : To the left of the waterway entrance, constructed around 1460, stands the main gate: Porta Magna

Arsenale : The canal connecting the main entrance to the lagoon

Arsenale : The Arsenal is still an active military base

Arsenale : The clock face on the left tower

Arsenale : Statues next to the main entrance

Arsenale : The Piraeus Lion was looted from Athens in the 17th century

Arsenale : A display at Naval History Museum highlighting the Viking runes engraved on the Piraeus Lion

Arsenale : Darsena Grande with Campanile di San Marco in the background

Arsenale : The eastern waterway entrance: Porta Nuova

Arsenale : The Gaggiandre are a pair of shipyards constructed from 1568 to 1573

Arsenale : Submarine Enrico Dandolo (S 513)

Arsenale : Porta Nuova seen from the lagoon

Arsenale : The 6 pairs of monumental hands comprising the Building Bridges art display

Arsenale : The hands symbolise: Friendship, Faith, Help, Love, Hope and Wisdom

Arsenale : Building Bridges reflected in the water

Arsenale : Building Bridges: Help and Hope

Arsenale : Building Bridges explanatory panel

Arsenale : The northern waterway entrance, offering a direct view toward the southern twin towers

Arsenale : Map highlighting the accessible northern sections for visitors

Arsenale : Panel depicting the evolution over time

Arsenale : Panel illustrating various ships and shipyards

Arsenale : The massive Armstrong hydraulic crane that assisted in the construction of larger warships

Arsenale : Novissimette with Campanile di San Marco in the background

Arsenale di Venezia

Venetian Arsenal

Historic shipyard powering Venice's former naval supremacy.

Naval Heritage Top 20 Free Admission Atypical Venice With Kids Without Crowds

Sestiere Castello

Take me there

Arsenale (3-min walk)

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Highlights

Early industrial giant

Occupying around 15% of Venice, the shipyards had at their peak an army of 16,000 workers that could construct a galley in just a few hours using an advanced assembly line.

Motivation

For centuries, Venice controlled the eastern Mediterranean. The success of the Arsenale stemmed from defense spending driven by the perceived threat of the Ottoman Empire.

Origin of the name

Still in use in modern Italian, 'arsenale' is derived from the Arabic 'Daras-sina’ah' meaning 'house of industry'. The term 'darsena' continues to denote an 'artificial water basin' used for docks on inland waterways.

Northern section

You can visit ancient sheds and docks, read the excelent informative panels and enjoy refreshments at the Tesa 105 while spotting the 46m (150ft) military submarine Enrico Dandolo (S 513) along with the massive 1885 hydraulic Gru Armstrong crane.

'Building bridges'

Lorenzo Quinn's monumental sculpture features six giant pairs of hands joined together atop a northern dock, symbolizing six universal values of humanity: friendship, faith, help, love, hope and wisdom.

Why visit

Perfect for boys of all ages, yet everyone will be amazed by the history of the complex and fascinated by the giant sculpture depicting six pairs of hands.